Toilet seat cover

ABSTRACT

A SOFT AND YIELDING COVER FOR A CONVENTIONAL TOILET SEAT HAVING IN THE PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION, AN OUTER FLEXIBLE WATERPROOF JACKET FILLED WITH A SOLID CUSHIONING MATERIAL AND HAVING DEPENDING SIDE EDGES NORMALLY BIASED INWARDLY AND HAVING AT THEIR LOWER ENDS INTURNED FLANGES WHICH ENGAGE UNDER THE FLAT LOWER SURFACE OF THE TOILET SEAT TO HOLD THE COVER REMOVABLY IN PLACE.

United States Patent 68,954 9/1867 Chafi'ee... 1,565,582 12/1925Moore.....

Fredesvindo Gerena Freses P.O. Box 21768, U.P.R. Station Rio Piedras,P.R.

June 20, 1969 June 28, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented TOILETSEAT COVER 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Int. I

Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,155,286 4/1939'Winding .1:

Hunter Rocker Hyde Previte Warnberg"... Brunelle Potosky Dixon PrimaryExaminer-Laveme D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-Donald B, MassenbergAttorney-Scrivener, Parker, Scrivener and Clarke ABSTRACT: A soft andyielding cover for a conventional toilet seat having in the preferredform of the invention, an outer flexible waterproof jacket filled with asolid cushioning material and having depending side edges normallybiased inwardly and having at their lower ends intumed flanges whichengage under the flat lower surface of the toilet seat to hold the coverremovably in place.

PATENTEI] JUN28 I97! INVENTOR FREDESVINDO GERENA MAJ/(WWW VZAMZI.

ATTORNEYS TOILET SEAT COVER DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is aperspective view of a conventional toilet having a pivoted seat and apivoted lid and having the cover provided in the preferred embodiment ofthe invention positioned on the upper surface of the seat;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view which is similar to FIG. 2 but shows the cover inattached position on the toilet seat;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a view which is similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodimentof the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a view which is similar to FIG. 3 and shows a final embodimentof the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown aconventional toilet bowl 2 which may be formed of porcelain or the likehaving a conventional oval seat 4 which is pivotally connected at itsrear to the upper surface of the toilet bowl. A seat lid 6 is alsopivotally connected to the upper surface of the toilet bowl by hinges 8.All of these parts are of well known and conventional construction andarrangement.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to4, there is provided on the upper surface of the seat 4 a waterproof,yielding cover forming a cushion for the conventional rigid seat 4. Thiscover comprises a hollow body having a shape conforming to that of theseat 4 and having an annular hollow-part 22 filled with a soft,cushioning material 24 which may be foam rubber or the like to which theouter covering may be 22 bonded. The part 22 is generally rectangular incross section and has an upper wall 26 which, when the cushion is inplace on the seat, extends transversely of the seat and above it, alower wall 28 which is parallel to and below the upper wall 26 and isshaped transversly to conform to the upper curved surface of the seat 4,and sidewalls 30, 32, forming an annular body having the shape of theseat 4, which is usually oval, and having a central opening 34registering with the seat opening and being of such size and shape thatit substantially covers the upper surface of the seat.

Means are provided by the invention for releaseably but firmly attachingthe seat cover provided by the invention to the upper surface of theseat 4. Such means comprise the annular walls 40, 42 which,respectively, extend downwardly below the lower wall 28 in alignmentwith the sidewalls 30, 32, and these annular walls are normally biasedinwardly toward each other as shown in FIG. 2. These depending wallmembers are preferably formed of resilient material and are preferablyintegral with the top, bottom and sidewalls of the cover and extendentirely about the inner and outer peripheries thereof. At their lowerextremities these walls are preferably, but not necessarily, providedwith intumed flanges 44, 46 respectively for engagement below the lowersurface 50 of the seat member 4 when the cover is assembled to the seat.

Means are provided by the invention for accommodating the hinges 8 ofthe cover lid 6. It will be understood in connection with thisembodiment of the invention that when the cover lid is lowered to coverthe seat opening 34 the hinge parts 8 would normally be obstructed bythe rear part of the cover 20 adjacent the hinges which, it will beobserved, extends above the upper surface of the seat 4. In order toaccommodate these hinges a part of the cover member adjacent the hingesand at the rear of the cover 20 is cut away leaving an opening 60 withinwhich the hinges 8 and their associated parts are received when thecover lid is lowered, thereby permitting the lower surface of the lid toengage and rest upon the upper surface of the cover.

If desired, a valve 70 may be inserted into a sidewall of the cover inorder to communicate the interior of the cover with the outsideatmosphere, thereby permitting the intake and exhaust of air into andfrom the interior of the cover as the same is used.

In the application and use of the cover provided by the invention thedepending annular sidewalls 40, 42 are spread apart and slipped over therespective interior and exterior peripheral walls of the seat 4. Thesesidewalls, being resiliently biased inwardly toward each other, firmlyengage the opposite peripheral walls of the seat to hold the cover inplace on the upper surface of the seat. At the same time, the inturnedflanges 44, 46 engage the lower surface 50 of the seat and effectivelyprevent any unintended removal of the cover from the seat. When thecover lid 6 is is lowered the hinge parts thereof are received withinthe opening 66 in the upper rear part of the cover, permitting the lidto lie flat upon the upper surface of the cover.

The seat cover may, if desired, and in further accordance with theinvention, be partially or wholly filled with air instead of softmaterial, and such an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG.5. In this device the annular seat cover has the same configuration andparts as described above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4 but theinterior body of soft material 24 is partially omitted and the body part22 is generally hollow and adapted to be filled with air through valveto any desired pressure. In order to ensure that the inflated seat coverwill remain securely in place on the seat 4 when in use, an annularmember 94 of hard material, preferably a plastic, is positioned withinthe body part 22 on the upper surface of lower wall 28. This plasticmember is preferably generally triangular in cross section with its apexat the inner periphery of the seat cover and its base at the outerperiphery as shown in FIG. 5.

In another form which the invention may take, which is illustrated inFIG. 6 there is provided an annular, flat rigid plate 80 having theshape of the toilet seat and being provided with a downwardly turnedflange 82 at its inner edge. The annular soft and yielding auxiliaryseat cover provided by the invention is mounted on the upper surface ofthe plate 80 and may be glued to it in order to form a unitarystructure, which may be attached to the upper surface of the toilet seatin any suitable manner or alternatively, may merely be laid thereon forready removal. In this form of the invention the seat cover may be madein any desired manner taught by the invention.

In still another form of the invention, which is disclosed in FIG. 7,the depending walls 40, 42 with their intumed flanges 44, 46 areeliminated from the annular member 22 of rectangular cross section andthis member is attached, by adhesive or other suitable means, to aseparate annular seat formed of any rigid material. The annular cushionmember is shown at in FIG. 7 and the annular seat member at 102, and itwill be understood that when this embodiment of the invention is used noconventional toilet seat is required as the unitary combination of themembers 100, 102 takes its place and also provides a soft cushion.

The cover provided by the invention may be made in different sizes tofit different size toilet seats, and the external material of the covermay be made of waterproof material. In use, the cover will provide ahygienic, easily cleaned cover which will be found to be morecomfortable than the conven tional hard seat.

I claim:

1. An easily washable, comfortable, hygienic, cushioned cover for aconventional oval toilet seat having a central opening, a transverselyupwardly curved upper surface and a nearly fiat lower surface,comprising a generally annular hollow body of such size and transversesectional dimensions to be received on and cover the upper surface ofthe toilet seat, said hollow body being substantially rectangular incross-sectional shape with a lower surface transversely curved to fitthe upper surface of the toilet seat, said hollow body being at leastpartially filled with soft cushioning material and being composed of awaterproof, easily washable material, lower sidewalls dependingdownwardly from the inner and outer sidewalls of said hollow body andextending substantially entirely throughout the peripheriesv thereof,said lower sidewalls having inturned flanges at their lower edges, andbeing normally resiliently biased and inclined inwardly toward eachother whereby they will firmly engage the inner and outer peripheraledges of the toilet seat with the body resting on and insurface-to-surface engagement with the upper surface of the seat and theintumed flanges engaging the lower surface of the seat, to secure it inplace for use and make it easily removable for cleaning.

2. A cover according to claim I, having therein and at the lower partthereof an annular rigid member of greater vertical dimension at itsouter periphery than at its inner periphery.

3. A toilet seat cover according to claim 1, having the upper part ofthe rear of the seat cover cut away to accommodate the hinges of theconventional toilet seat lid.

4. A toilet seat comprising a generally annular rigid member havingtoilet seat shape both annularly and transversely and adapted to bereceived upon the upper surface of a toilet bowl rim, said seatcomprising also a generally annular hollow body of such size andtransverse sectional dimensions to be received on and cover the uppersurface of said annular rigid member, said hollow body beingsubstantially rectangular in cross-sectional shape with a lower surfacetransversely curved to fit the upper surface of said annular rigidmember, said hollow body being filled with a soft, cushioning materialand being composed of a waterproof, easily washable, resilient material,said hollow body being adhesively bonded to the upper surface of saidrigid member and covering entirely said upper surface of said rigidmember.

